Before the Reunion
by Hakuryuukun
Summary: Awaiting the arrival of that special someone, Kougyoku takes a moment to reflect on the past 3 years.
_Alibaba. Alive._

The young Empress was quite aware that that infuriating man had plenty more to say, but these two words alone were an enormous wrench against her slender fingers as her grip instantly loosened on the shellphone. The hall echoed with the sounds of the device ricocheting off the jewel encrusted arm of her throne and now rested at her feet. Her extravagant robes and crown weighed heavily on her tiny frame as she extended an unsteady arm below to retrieve it. Ruby red tresses found their way into still her gaping mouth. Her matching eyes sported a similar _O_ shape. Kouygoku was certain her current expression mimic one belonging to your average fish. How becoming of Vinea's former master. The air around her seemed to disobey the floor of time itself as her surroundings adopted a much slower pace.

Her heart desired the destruction of that cursed contraption with a slam of her foot. She yearned for the opportunity to run jubilantly throughout the palace, shouting joyous cries of that special someone's name and of his inevitable return.

But Alas, she was doomed to hear _that Sinbad's_ continuous ramblings. The Empress was unaware of what sort of demon-like expression that formed on her face whenever she conversed with that man, but judging by the way the handful of guards and retainers scurried somewhat further away - some even using the sleeves of their robes as a makeshift shield, as though she would self-destruct without warning - she knew it wasn't one of her finest moments. That very same murderous look perked up when she was finally able to end her triad of forced pleasantries as the conversation ended, initiating signs of relief from those in her vicinity.

One of which hesitantly approached. "If I may ask, are you faring well Your Majesty? For a moment there, it looked like you've seen a ghost.

' _Looked like you've seen a ghost' huh? How befitting._

"Seen a ghost? No...not yet."

They all seemed even more frightened by the mysterious smile now embedded onto her face and were more than happy to comply with her request that they leave her be while she gathered her thoughts.

Even knowing that that special someone was still out there, Kougyoku could never forget the agony she felt on the day he was pronounced dead. She still had yet to recover from losing Judar not too long ago. Her heart weighed a ton and felt as though it could easily drop into the pit of her stomach. The nearby sea was nothing more than a miniscule puddle compared to the tears she shed. If it wasn't for the threat of civil war approaching, she would have gave herself away to this depressive state and semi-permanently retreated within the closest room.

If that wasn't enough for her fragile mind to bare, she was the one to blame for their lost. The dreams of returning to her homeland where she would happily await the inevitable enthronement of her king and brother, Kouen, ended the day she discovered that the man she gave her heart to had been using her since the very beginning.

Pitiful Kougyoku suffered even more lost on the day her brothers were ripped away from her life and were replaced by a ravenous vengeance that she knew deep down inside was impossible to accomplish. The Empress also initially bore an intense ill will towards Hakuryuu, but felt it was much too hypocritically as she was now the one running on the course of revenge.

The days following these events were all a blur to her. Isolation was nothing new, but she this type of loneliness was something different. Joining forces with the Seven Seas Alliance brought with it a hoard of new faces and yet the corridors felt emptier than ever.

Gone was the clatter of brother Kouen and his household strutting through the palace as though Kouen was the one bearing the imperial crown. Gone were the delighted squeals of brother Kouha's attention-hungry assistants whenever he lavished them with compliments. Gone was the persistent cooing of brother Koumei's pigeons pending their next meal of stale bread. Gone were sights and sounds of the lighthearted antics of cousin Hakuryuu and Seishunn as cousin Hakuei watched over them with her usual motherly air. Kougyoku would even welcome the appearance of her older sisters with their perfect noses always turned upward as a reminder of where she belonged.

Her heart should have sung with pride and joy on the day she was made Empress. She should have dedicated that moment to the few who stood by her side - and to the ones who always made their doubts loud and clear. She could almost hear the playfulness in Judar's voice as he mouthed 'old hag'even among this festive occasion. If her brothers were not exiled such an event would not have occurred even in her most vivid dreams, but she could see them nonetheless, faces lit up with approval alongside her grinning cousins.

Kougyoku could see _him_ as well, his appearance outshining the beaming sunlight that bathed them in its warmth. He would be the only one outlandish enough to disrupt her coronation with a snug embrace all while muttering words of praise. She would have welcomed this distraction and held him tightly, ignoring the highly vocal cries that could only belong to Ka Koubon. She would have been unable to let his warmth escape her. Someone would surely have to pull them apart eventually.

Instead, emptiness was what she received. Emptiness was a tolerated friend, while sadness was an irksome one.

Her anguish did not go unnoticed. Her retainers all tried their hardest to view an earnest smile from her once again. They lavished her with gifts of the finest beauty and skincare products from all corners of the globe. Ka Koubon began to baby her even more than usual despite her superior status. However, it was all for naught. She even burst into tears once at the sight of a _peach_ scented perfume, earning her an immeasurable amount of apologies from her equally tearful assistants.

And yet, buried somewhere deep below the nearly impenetrable despair was a twinge of contentment knowing that she would soon be reunited with that special someone.

 _So, then why do I still feel this way? Is it because his return will change absolutely nothing? That I will still fail regardless?_

Her hooded eyes stung with intruding tears, the salty droplets falling onto her folded hands. In this state, she was fully oblivious to the commotion happening right outside the front door until the voice she longed for called out to her.

"Hey Kougyoku! I came here to see you!"

With the most sincere smile she could muster planted on face, she reassured the still fuming guards that it was alright. That special someone has finally arrived. Kougyoku's last beacon of hope was here for her and her only.

"It's good to see you again, Alibaba."


End file.
